The Roseville City School Board located in Central California recently adopted a policy that turns the district’s middle schools into “phone-free zones” next school year.
School board members voted unanimously May 9 to approve the policy—introduced by Trustee Jonathan Zachreson—which requires middle school students to turn off and put away their cell phones from the moment they arrive at school until the school day ends.
Exceptions would apply in the case of an emergency, for medical necessity determined by a doctor, or if required by a student’s individualized education program.
“It [became] clear cell phone use at school causes significant issues,” Mr. Zachreson said in a statement the following day.
He came to such a conclusion after talking with teachers, parents, and administrators.
“Not only will this policy reduce classroom distractions, but growing evidence shows limiting cell phone use at school leads to better student outcomes, improved mental health for students, and a reduction in behavior issues,” he said. “Limiting their use is a commonsense solution that will both support teachers and benefit students.”
The policy was also praised by Assemblyman Josh Hoover, who, this year, introduced state Assembly Bill 3216, which would similarly require schools to ban or limit students’ cell phone use in school.
“I am grateful for [Roseville’s] commitment to protecting and improving the mental health and academic outcomes of students in our region,” Mr. Hoover said in a May 10 statement. “Research continues to demonstrate the potential harms of cell phone use among children. The growing use of these devices in a child’s everyday life can contribute to lower test scores, anxiety, depression, and even suicide. When local school districts take action to limit the use of smartphones during the school day they are helping protect kids from these potential harms.”
The bill—introduced in February—passed the Assembly’s Education and Appropriations committees, and is currently being held in the latter’s “suspense file” for review of its fiscal impact.
In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 272, which allows—but does not require—a school board to limit students’ smartphone use.
However, Mr. Hoover’s bill would require school boards to adopt a policy limiting or banning cell phone use in schools by July 1, 2026.
Last year, Florida became the first state to crack down on phones in school, passing a law that bans cell phone use during class time and blocks access to Wi-Fi and social media.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma, Vermont, and Kansas also recently introduced similar legislation placing bans on cell phone use in schools.
The Roseville City School District, located in Placer County near Sacramento, serves about 12,000 students from TK-8th grade.
